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Sunday, March 04, 2012

Yes, it has been awhile since I last updated. I seriously don't know the reason I have been so busy lately. Maybe I am also a little uninspired to blog after Chinese New Year.

After spending a glorious 9-day break for CNY, I returned to HKL to start in a new department, PRIC aka Pharmacy Resources and Information Centre. Besides answering drug enquiries from public and hospital staff, we had do proforma and design brochures and bulletins as well. At times, we had to be send as relief to Orthopedic Pharmacy and Methadone Pharmacy when they are under staff. My first week there was pretty relaxing but the weeks that came were super busy as I tried to rush finishing my brochure and bulletins. All in all, I really enjoyed my time there. It was one department which I felt that everyone there are really really nice to PRPs and they do acknowledge us, not just when they need us to do work. But alas, since there were so many public holidays that ensued, I only spend 12 out of 20 days there.

After having a comparatively "relaxing" time at PRIC, my next department was one I feared - Outpatient Pharmacy. Although I can learn so much things there, having so many patients everyday just made me so stressed out. Especially when they placed me at Counter B aka the "Problem" counter, the counter to clarify all the problematic prescriptions. Actually, 80% of the problems come from illegibility of handwriting. Yes, HKL is so primitive in the sense they still use manual prescriptions, requiring prescribers to write manually. Because of that, I feel there are more errors since not everyone can decipher the handwriting. Not only that, sometimes the strength written is not available, and no duration or frequency is written as well. I have been fortunate so far in the sense that I have not been scolded by any doctors yet.

The biggest problem I have to deal with is dealing with impatient patients. How I wish patients can be more reasonable. Sometimes it is so difficult to call the doctors, especially during lunch hour or sometimes when they don't even picked up the phone. I really salute those pharmacists and pharmacy assistants who work at OPD because they have to deal with this kind of stuff on a daily basis. Everyday, I get to witness nasty and annoying patients. We don't gain any monetary profits from doing our service, but we want to ensure zero medication errors so please just let us do our jobs. Also, please understand we have policies to abide by.

"UNCLE, WE CANNOT SUPPLY MORE THAN 2 MONTHS OF MEDICATIONS!!!!"

If I can do it, I will really shout at the patient. He was so nasty forcing me to break the rules. After talking to my superior about taking the rest of the supply of his medications at another hospital, again he became impatient and threaten to report me to my supervisor. I was like wtf? Did you not agreed to take your supply elsewhere? Why the sudden change? Some Malaysians need to learn decent manners.

But luckily, not all of them are like that. I have met some really nice and grateful patients. In return, I feel happy to serve them. I just wish my work can be appreciated more, I guess.

Went to Universal Kpop Fan Party with my cousin, Sherli. It was really interesting watching the groups perform covers of famous Kpop dances.

Doughnuts courtesy of Cik Suzana, one of the pharmacists at PRIC. She is really nice to us PRPs:):)

A cute souvenir from Japan thanks to Joanne. She and I both worked for 2 weeks at OPD and she is really funny. Also she let me eat lots of chocolates from Japan nyam nyam.

Finally, had the chance to try out Ciao Italian Restaurant after hearing about it since my UKM days. My verdict: definitely a must-try for authentic Italian cuisine. Want to go there again, but when I have more money first. I am always so broke T__T.

Hanging out with Joanne at the counselling room. One of those rare quiet moments that we don't get a lot since HKL OPD is always flooded with patients day and night, weekdays, weekends, public holidays, rain or sunny. It is that SCARY!

What initially started out as a joke to tattoo Sumo Man's butt. Joanne really did cop our names on poor Mr. Sumo Man. It is a doll we used to teach insulin counselling, btw.

Finally, a nice quote to get me through those hard days because believe it or not, those days are so frequent ever since I started working at OPD. But I am determined to survive my 6 weeks there without getting into any troubles *fingers crossed*

Anyway, today I had like the most disastrous morning. Been sick for the past 2 days and I was supposed to go for a marathon this morning in conjunction with "World Kidney Day" with a PRP friend. I could not find my trackpants, all my sports shoes are spoiled and I broke a glass jar. To make matters worse, I was already so late and when I was almost reaching, the road was blocked. Took another road but made a wrong turn. So by the time I reached the venue, the marathon has already started. Tried calling my friend's phone so many times but I finally gave up. I found out later when he sms-ed me that his phone was having some problems.

So, to cheer myself up, I went to Imbi and did shopping. Then, after that went for a hair wash at Times Square and did even more shopping.

Yes, I have so much clothes my closet is going to burst already. Something is definitely wrong with me.